Filing tray



1929- E. OHNSTRAND 1,725,823

FILING TRAY Filed May 26, 1925 i77w07z 072/7261 rand Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOCI-I OHNSTRAND, F MOI-IAl/VK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO REMINGTON RAND, INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FILING TRAY.

Application. filed May 26, 1925.

This invention relates to filing drawers or trays, such as those used for card records and the like, and more especially to means for facilitating the use of such records without complete removal of them from the tray.

In referring to the subject matter contained upon the several cards of a card index, of any kind, there is a common difficulty in reading entries which have been made near the bottom or margins of the individual card. This difficulty is greatly increased when the cards are, for any reason, of suitable heightas is customary in ledger records, for example. It is also difficult or inconvenient to reserve selected individual cards for further use such as copying, without completely withdrawing them from the remainder and thus making it necessary to re-file each card, when such use has been finished. Moreover, the removal of cards from a file is always attended by the danger of losing or mutilating them and thus vitiating the completeness and reliability of the records.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a filing drawer or tray, in which the cards may be referred to sever ally without removal from their sequential positions in the series, and in which any selected group of cards may beofi'set, without danger of becoming separated or disarranged with respect to the remaining cards of the file or to each other. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following disclosure.

In general the invention consists in a boxshaped tray, having one side movable into a horizontal position and adapted to serve as an extension upon which the cards contained in the box or tray may be severally or collectively withdrawn and supported, in such offset relationship, during use. Associated with the movable side, there is preferably provided a guide or guard member to limit the distance to which such cards may be withr drawn and to retain them in their thus extended position. The tray may also be provided, to advantage, with a device for compressing the cards, in either their assembled or offset position (still further to prevent accidental displacement), or for releasing them and permitting their ready separation, as during reference and use. Means also are provided for retaining the movable side in its closed or extended horizontal position as Serial No. 32,933.

required. Further details will appear from the following disclosure.

A specific embodiment of the invention, as typical of its application in practice, will be described with reference to a ledger filing tray, as shown by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the tray, with the side wall lowered into horizontal position and a portion of the front wall and compressor panel broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front end of the tray, shown in Fig. 1, the remaining rear portion being broken away;

Fig. 3 isa detail side View of the catch for the movable side and of the compressor mechanism, other parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the movable side with a modified form of guard member, in horizontal position; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the movable side shown in Fig. 4, along line 5-5.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1 indicates a substantially rectangular box or tray open at the top and having a bottom wall 2, with a side wall 3 and a front wall 4 permanently joined thereto, and a movable side wall 5 which is pivoted adjacent to the bottom by the hinge member 6 andpintle 7 The bottom may be provided on its inner side with a false bottom 8 slotted to receive lugs 9 depending from the lower end of the upright compressor panel 11. This panel is adapted to swing forward and back upon its connection with the false bottom, but is retained thereon by pins 12 through each of the lugs 9. The forward face of the panel is provided with straps 13 fastened thereto at each end, but spaced therefrom intermediate the ends as shown by Figs. 1 and 3 at a sufficient dis tance to receive the cross-bar 14 therethrough. The latter is bent forwardly and inwardly at its ends 15 to engage socket members 16 mounted upon the upper edge of the front wall 4. 7 At one side the cross-bar is extended as at 17 to form a handle by which it may be conveniently operated to draw the panel forward or to force it backward, as de sired.

I A similar panel (not shown) and substantially parallel to the first may be provided in the rear part of the drawer, and may be stationary or capable of a like compressive movement forward and back, supplementing W zontal position. The surface or lower edge of side wall 5 engages the edge 10 of the bottom wall 2 when the side wall 5 assumes a horizontal position, which engagement serves to support it firmly while in use. On

p the inner side of the movable wall 5 there is provided an upstanding guard member consisting of a flat sheet of metal 22 which may as shown, be integral with the hinge member 7 or separate therefrom if desired) which is bent upwardly at 23 to form a right-angled retaining surface, and slopes downwardly at 24 to form a guide for the hand of the operator.

Upon the upper corner of the front wall is pivoted, on a rivet 25, a clutch member 26 having a projection 27 on its upper edge, to engage the upper edge of the front wall l, and a projection 28 on its free end adapted to swing over and engage theedge of the side wall 5 and to retain the same in upright posi tion as a part of the box when closed. A struck-up portion of the movable side wall 31 serves to protect the clutch member from accidental releasing movement.

The index cards 32 and reference cards 33 are normally assembled in upright position between the compressors or panels 11, and the movable side 5 is held in vertical position by the clutch member 26.

WVhen the file is to be used, the clutch 26 is raised, permitting the side 5 to be lowered to a horizontal position, where it is retained by engagement of projecting corner 21 against the front wall 1 and supported by engagement of its lower edge or under surface with the edge 10 of the bottom wall 2, substantially in alignment with the bottom of the tray. The crossbar-1a is then grasped by the projecting handle portion 17 and raised upwardly. This brings the panel 11 forward, swinging upon its lower edge as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and accordingly permits the cards 33 which stand behind it to separate or be separated freely. The strips 13 serve to retain the bar 14c in engagement with the compressor plate and for limiting the sliding movement of the bar on such compressor plate. As shown in Fig. 3, the position of the strips is predetermined so that when the bar is at its lower limit of movement, it will be substantially at right angles to the compressor plate and will re tain said plate in file-compressing relation. When the bar 14 is at the upper end of the strips, as shown in dot and dash lines of Fig. 3, it cooperates with the strip to support the compressor plate in inclined position so that the file will be in non-compressed condition and provide access thereto for filing purposes.

The permanent index cards 32 will usually be held in position in the box by the rod 18, but the intermediate or reference cards 33 may be drawn out sidewise, singly or in groups as desired, as shown in Fig. 1, their lower portions being readily observable, while the lower margins will strike the face of the guide member 23, thus preventing complete removal or displacement from their proper positions with respect to the remaining cards in the file.

' If it is desirable to retain the thus selected cards in their extended positions, they will rest upon the side wall 5 and against the guide member 23. They may also be positively secured or clamped while in this position by pushing the cross-bar 14 to its rearward position (as shown in solid lines in Fig. 3), thus forcing the panel 11 backward and compressing the whole series of cards against the corresponding rear panel (not shown). In this position, below the horizontal, cross bar 14: is effectually locked.

Since the projecting guide member 22 may, when the side wall is in closed position, occupy an excessive portion of the width of the tray or box, it is especially desirable to employ the modification shown in Figs. 4. and 5, wherein asimilar member 23 may be low and serve as a reinforcing stop for a plate 34: which is hinged to the side at its bottom edge 35 and may be swung upwardly against the lower guide or stop member 23', thus presenting a higher and more secure retaining wall for the cards, or folded down flat against the movable side wall when the box is to be closed.

In the manner described a tray or drawer is provided which is adapted to receive and hold filing cards in the usual manner, but which also permits of the partial withdrawal of the cards therefrom, and the ready and convenient use of such cards while in their thus extended or offsetposition. At the same time it provides means for clamping or compressing the cards firmly together,whether the cards are closely assembled andthe tray closed or whether the side wall is in lowered position and the cards are in extended'position thereon.

It will be clear that the invention may be modified and adapted to various types of file records and to different containers from the one specifically'described in the repre sentative example. Such modifications are, however, comprehended by the present invention and to be considered as included by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A file tray including a bottom member and end walls secured thereto, a removable front compressor member and a cross bar pivoted to a wall of said tray and extending across and having slidable contact with a face of the compressor to support the same in file compressing and non-compressing relation.

2. A card filing tray, having a side Wall movable into vertical or horizontal position, stop means for retaining said side Wall in horizontal position to receive cards partially withdrawn from the tray thereon, and compressor means comprising opposed panels, a cross bar slidably engaging one of said panels and pivoted to an end wall of the file, and an extension of said cross bar for manual operation of said compressor.

3. A filing tray having a compressor ex tending transversely of the tray, and having one side edge spaced from one side wall of the tray, an actuator disposed between said compressor and one end of the tray, the com pressor having a handle portion extending beyond said side edge for manual engagement in said space.

4. A filing tray having a compressor extending transversely of the tray and having one side edge spaced from one side wall of the tray, a bail pivoted at the ends to swing up and down adjacent said compressor for actuating same, the bail extending beyond said side edge for manual engagement in said space.

5. A filing tray, a drop side, a compressor plate extending transversely of the tray and having one side edge spaced from said side, a compressor actuator disposed between said compressor and one end of the tray, the compressor having a handle extending beyond said side edge into said space, and a pivoted guide member mounted on the inner face of said drop side to swing into said space.

6. A filing tray, a drop side, a compressor plate extending transversely of the tray and having one side edge spaced from said side, and a pivoted guide member mounted on the inner face of said drop side to swing into said space.

7. A filing tray having a side wall movable into vertical or horizontal position, means for retaining the same in either of said positions, and a guide member upon the inner side of said side wall, disposed longit-udinally thereof and movable into extended position or into juxtaposition with the side wall.

8. A filing tray having a side wall movable into vertical or horizontal position, means for retaining the same in either of said positions, and a guide member hinged upon the inner side of said wall, disposed longitudinally thereof, and presenting a vertical face toward the body portion of the file, when the side wall is in horizontal positon.

9. A filing tray having a side wall movable into Vertical or horizontal position,

means for retaining the same in either of said positions, and a guide member hinged to the inner side of said wall and disposed longitudinally thereof and having an inclined surface on the outer side thereof, said guide member presenting a vertical face toward the body portion of the file, when the side wall is in horizontal position.

10. A filing tray having a bottom wall and front wall, a compressor plate pivotally connected at its lower end to the bottom wall, a strap secured at its ends on one side portion of said plate and having a central substantially parallel offset portion intermediate its ends, and a cross-bar retained in engagement with said plate by said strap having laterally extending ends pivotally connected to the front wall of said drawer, said cross bar being limited in its pivotal movement by said strap and adapted to retain said plate in compressed position at one limit of movement, and cooperate with said strap to retain said plate in inclined position at its opposite limit of movement.

11. A filing tray having a bottom wall, and a substantially vertical front wall, a compressor plate pivotally connected to the bottom wall in spaced relation to the front wall, and a compressor bar pivoted to said front wall in spaced relation to the bottom, said bar having a portion secured for limited sliding engagement with said plate, said portion of said bar being maintained a distance from the pivot substantially equal to the distance between the front wall and the pivot for said compressor plate, said compressor bar retaining said plate in file-compressing relation when positioned substantially at right angles to said plate, and cooperating with the front wall to support said plate in inclined position in acute angular relation thereto.

12. A filing tray having a bottom, front, and rear walls, a side wall and a hinge memher on the inside of said side wall hingedly connected between the front and rear walls above the bottom wall, said hinge member being positioned to engage the edge of the side wall with the free edge of the bottom wall when said side wall is moved into horizontal alignment with said bottom, whereby a substantially rigid support for said side wall is provided in the lowered position.

Signed by me at Palmer, Mass, this 20th day of May, 1925.

ENOCH OHNSTRAND. 

